Device for manipulating hair rollers



Feb 1969 A. c CASTELLANO DEVICE FOR MANIPULATING HAIR ROLLERS Filed Dec. 6, 1966 MN K E mm m INVENTOR ANGELO C. CASTELLANO ATTORNEY United States Patent 6 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A hair roller apparatus having a shaft and a plurality of flexible staves circumferentially arranged about the shaft and held by a pair of spaced washer-like members axially centered on the shaft. A spring biases one of the washerlike members in a direction to cause the staves to bow radially outwardly from the shaft and thus frictionally engage and grip the inner circumferential surface of the roller. A slide member integral with or affixed to the movable washer-like member, is used to manually compress the spring and straighten the staves so that they release their frictional grip from the hair roller.

This invention relates to a device for manipulating hair rollers or curlers and, more particularly, to a device for use with hair rollers to make hair rolling easier and faster.

The object of this invention is to provide a device for use with conventional hair rollers or curlers to make hair rolling easier and faster. Further, an object of the invention is to provide such a device which can accommodate a wide range of roller sizes.

The invention will be better understood from the following description, when read in connection with the attached drawing, of which FIG. 1 is an isometric view of a device incorporating the invention with portions thereof cut away to show the parts contained inside the slide member; FIG. 2 is a side elevational view showing the other parts of the device separated from the shaft.

With reference now to FIG. 1, a hair roller 10, of conventional design having members 10B thereon for aligning and engaging hair for rolling purposes on a cylindrical form 10C which may be a cylindrical cage, tube, etc., but which has an inner circumferential surface 101 engageable by the device of the present invention. It is to be understood that the illustrated design of the hair roller 10 is purely exemplary. The diameter D will normally be determined by the particular style of curl to be made and the invention is applicable to all such sizes, the only limitation being that for a given size range of hair rollers, the outermost limits of such range be slightly smaller than the bowed extent of the staves and the smaller size Within a given range, slightly exceeding the diameter of the fixed washer member.

Shaft 11, best seen in FIG. 2, is elongated and has a handle end 12 which tapers to a small rounded end 13 which can be used to pick up hair to be set on the roller. Portion 14 of shaft 11 is reduced in diameter and the tip end 16 is rounded smooth. A groove 17 is formed in shaft portion 14 into which is fed stave engaging stop member washer 18. Member 18 has a plurality of openings therein through which the reduced ends 19 of stave members 20 pass. Stave members 20 are elongated flexible strips or bands and are shown in the drawing as being in a bowed condition. The bowed condition may be inherent in the stave members 20 but, preferably, the bowing or outward flexing of stave members 20 is effected by a spring in a manner to be described. The outer surfaces of the staves are smooth topermit sliding of roller thereover; however, this is not necessary since the staves may be manually straightened or made to have an effective diameter less than the diameter D of the roller.

3,426,766 Patented Feb. 11, 1969 Stave engaging member 21 has a hole 22 in the center thereof which permits it to slide easily along the reduced portion 14 of shaft 1 1. A plurality of openings or slots 23, circumferentially spaced in a manner similar to the spacing of the openings or slots in member 18, receive reduced ends 19m of stave members 20 so that the openings or slots in member 18 and member 21, respectively, hold the stave members 20 in circumferential disposition or arrangement about the axis of reduced portion 14 of shaft 11. It should be noted that the reduced ends of stave members 20 and their fitment in the openings or slots in said members permit pivoting action of the staves at both ends with respect to members 18 and 21 respectively. But the stave members 20 and members 18 and 21 may be integral with one another, the important aspect being the outward flexing of staves 20. A conical plug or spring engaging member 24 which may be integral with washer member 21, has an axial bore 26 therethrough to permit its sliding movement along reduced portion 14 of shaft 11. Plug 24 engages one end of compression spring 27, the other end of compression spring 27 engaging a Washer 28 which, in its turn, engages a stop or shoulder 29 on shaft 11 formed by reduced portion 14.

A tubular slide member 30 has one end thereof secured to the peripheral edge of member 21 and extends along the shaft to form a housing for spring member 27. An end 31 of slide member 30 is conically shaped and tapers down to form an opening therein (not shown) through which the shaft 11 passes and the opening is such as to have a close sliding fit with respect to shaft portion 32. Substantially all of the device is made of plastic material with the stave members 20 preferably being made of material having a high resiliency but it is not necessary that it be made of any particular plastic material other than that the plastic material be flexible. It is preferred that the spring member 27 be a metal spring but this is not critical. It will also be appreciated that certain parts shown as separate components may be molded as one.

It is believed that the operation of the device is obvious from the description given hereinabove. It should be noted that the operation is very simple and that the user selects the roller desired and merely slips it on to the staves. The staves will compress or collapse to the size of the roller used and the spring 27 will retract, exerting more tension on the staves. The hair is then rolled as desired. To release the frictional engagement of staves 20 with the inner surface 101 of roller 10, it is only necessary to grasp the slide member 30 and move it in the direction of handle 12 to unbow the staves 20.

While the present invention has been described with reference to a particular embodiment thereof, it will be understood that numerous modifications may be made by those skilled in the art, Without departing from the invention. Therefore, I aim in the appended claims to cover all such equivalent variations as come within the true spirit and scope of the foregoing disclosure.

I claim:

1. A device for manipulating cylindrical hair rollers comprising, in combination,

an elongated shaft,

a plurality of elongated flexible staves shorter than said shaft and circumferentially disposed about the axis thereof,

means securing one end of each stave to said shaft near one end thereof,

means intermediate the ends of said shaft for applying force to the unsecured ends of said staves in the direction of the secured ends thereof for causing said stages to bow radially outwardly with respect to said sha t,

whereby said flexible staves releasably engage the inner surface of a hair roller surrounding same.

2. The device defined in claim 1 wherein said means intermediate the ends of said shaft include a shoulder on said shaft,

a stave engaging member intermediate said shoulder and said end of shaft,

a spring between said shoulder and said stave engaging member urging said stave engaging member away from said shoulder and along the axis of said shaft,

whereby said stave ends engaged and held by said member to compress said spring thus enabling the effective diameter of the bowed portions of said staves to adjustably adapt themselves to the hair roller.

3. The device defined in claim v1 wherein said 'staves are flat, flexible strips, there being at least three of said flexible strips equally spaced circumferentially about said shaft.

4. The device defined in claim 1 wherein the other end of said shaft is tapered to a small diameter and rounded at the tip thereof and is useful to pick up hair to be set on the roller.

5. The device defined in claim 2 wherein said stave engaging member is an elongated tubular member surrounding and covering said spring and is slidable axially along said shaft whereby movement of said member in References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,435,664 2/1948 Whittaker 1321.1 2,924,225 2/ 1960 'Freeman 13234 2,935,070 5/1960 Auz 13234 2,953,138 9/1960 Nichol 13234 3,016,058 1/1962 Clayton 1321 LOUIS G. MANOENE, Primary Examiner.

JAMES W. MITCHELL, Assistant Examiner.

US. Cl. X.R. 1321 

